Bicycles and particularly motorized bicycles hereafter referred to simply as bikes have undergone an extensive evolutionary development. From the simple small and lightweight bikes that were available a few years ago, highly sophisticated, large and relatively heavy bikes are presently available. The prices of the latter are on the order of thousands of dollars, sometimes on the order of the price of some small cars. With the increase in theft of such bikes, their owners constantly seek means for locking their bikes and thereby protect them from unauthorized removal by wrongdoers.
Various devices to lock bikes have been proposed and are being used. For example, heavy lockable chains are passed through the spokes of one of the bike's wheels. Such chains are nearly useless, since they can be cut quite easily with a pair of metal shears, and then the bike can be driven away. A bicycle lock and bracket which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,231 is used by some bike owners. The latter provides some advantage over the use of a chain. It is made of hardened steel and thus cannot be shorn off. Also, it has a security type lock which is not easily tampered with.
However, the device described in said patent has several disadvantages. First, it is quite large, on the order or 7-8 inches wide and about 18 inches long, thus creating storage problems. Unless the bike is equipped with large storage pockets, special storage arrangements must be provided. Secondly, and more importantly, although the lock and bracket is not easily removable, it has to be mounted or used in such a way that a frustrated wrongdoer can damage the bike quite seriously. The prior art lock consists of a large U-shaped shackle which in use is inserted through the spokes of one of the wheels and another structural member, e.g. a brake disk plate or a shock absorber. A bike, when so locked, can be taken off its center stand and moved back and forth several inches, in each direction, enough to cause the shackle to bend spokes and or damage the other structural members. A need therefore exists for a new improved security bracket for bikes.